


Try Honesty

by AthenasMuse



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Agent, Angst, Crime Fighting, Double Agents, Emotions, F/M, Fighting, How Do I Tag, Hydra (Marvel), I Don't Even Know, Manipulation, Missions, Organized Crime, Romance, Russia, Slow Burn, Try Honesty, Undercover Missions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-11-10 11:35:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11126229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AthenasMuse/pseuds/AthenasMuse
Summary: "Lidiya takes a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut tightly before she runs from her shelter. The silence lasts for a second, before the rippling shots of gunfire echo through the room. She's too quick for them though."For as long as she could remember, a mission wasn't just an important assignment, or an assassination - it was a way of life. Missions were just part of her job, to which she had grown accustomed to, no matter how gruelling or horrific they were.But what she was doing was right; this was the good thing to do.When Lidiya is out on another mission, she encounters the Avengers, and the famous Captain America. But what happens when her feeling start to get the better of her? And what happens when they begin to uncover her past?Set before Avengers: Age of Ultron.





	1. введение / intro

_"I'm insane, it's your fault, cry!_

_I'm insane, you're so, sly!"_

 

_After Natasha Romanoff leaked all of the files from HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D, the Avengers obviously gained access to more files which they wouldn't have before._

 

_What they uncovered was that illegal experiments had been taking place, with items not of this earth, as well as subject Agent Markova._

 

This story is set before Avengers: Age Of Ultron, so I have tried to include characters which feature before and during this time period.

 

Barnet is mentioned in this story, as is Rostov-On-Don. The London Borough of Barnet is a small suburban area of London, and Rostov-On-Don is a port city in Russia. I had to do some research on those areas, because my geography is honestly shocking.

 

As you may have guessed, a lot of the chapter names have been, and will be in Russian. However they are all just numbers, or if they are not I will provide a translation.

 

I hope you enjoy this I have been meaning to write it for a while. Pretty much the only thing that's keeping me going through exams and stuff at the moment is the Avengers, so this has been fun to write. Anyway stay sweet! x


	2. Один

There are a few seconds where Lidiya feels a sense of serenity. A feeling of calm overtakes her, and for a few seconds she escapes herself; this never-ending nightmare fading, replaced by the tranquillity of the moment. The air is still, as she empties her pistol, tucking a few wild strands of hair behind her ears. Feeling her back pocket, she fumbles to find the new cartridges, pulling them out of the pocket and loading them into the chamber of the pistol. Her hands tremble as she closes the compartment, and she puts the pistol back into its holster. She lets herself to relax slightly, focusing on her breathing, allowing her to recover.

 

There is a sudden surge of movement as the door to the apartment flies open, people filing into the room. They're armed, hostile expressions on their faces as they search for her; their target, their enemy. She recognises one of the agents with them, her red hair short and bouncing freely around her shoulders. Her face is equally red, as she yells commands to the army following her.

 

Lidiya takes a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut tightly before she runs from her shelter. The silence lasts for a second, before the rippling shots of gunfire echo through the room. She's too quick for them though.

 

Everything passes in slow motion. She can see her surroundings stand still as she ducks and scrambles on the floor, passing Agent Romanoff swiftly. She reaches for the gun in her back pocket, whipping it out and quickly aiming at the agent in front of her. The gunshot is aimed at their arm, and as they begin to collapse enough space is made for her to sprint to the fire exit. Slamming open the door, she pauses momentarily, taking a deep breath. More shouts follow, but before they can react, she jumps over the railings, landing neatly on the next flight of stairs. There are agents everywhere, as she tries to hastily navigate an escape route.

 

Her instinct is to jump, and so she dives over the railings again. As she lands, she rolls out of the leap, kicking the agent in front of her before flipping herself up. A few more punches are landed, the person collapses on the floor next to her. She dodges another gunshot, twisting the agents arm behind their back and aiming the next shot at another colleague. Swiftly, she smashes their head into the ground, grabbing the gun and using it to aim at the helicopter above her. The aerial threat doesn't last long, as she is able to take it out with one shot, and as it crashes down, she makes her escape.

 

Lidiya runs as fast as she can, making it down two roads within seconds. There are people screaming all around, frantically trying to run away from the current showdown. The streets of Nizhny Novgorod are in chaos as a flurry of cars begin to chase after her, Agent Romanoff leading on a motorcycle.

 

This is all too familiar though for Lidiya, as she knows the exact turn to take to get away from the pack. A sudden left turn helps her to navigate her own motorcycle, buying her plenty of time to start the engine and drive away. She can't help but smile to herself, as she drives faster down the streets, completing the mission effortlessly.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

The emergency Avengers meeting starts ten minutes after Natasha arrives back in New York. Everyone files into a small conference room, where lavish chairs surround a glass table. Natasha Romanoff is the first on in the room, a deep cut on her jaw line. Emotionless she sits, the only evidence of feeling in her eyes, which glow with rage as she sits agitatedly. Steve Rogers makes his way in next, figure tall and proud. He's dressed very casually, as he gives a small smile to Natasha.

 

"Tough mission?" he says, sitting next to her.

 

His response is a deep sigh, and a small smile. She speaks up when Clint arrives, simply saying "Whoever she is, she's definitely good."

 

Bruce Banner and Maria Hill enter soon after. They wait for Tony in silence, the mood sombre.

 

When Tony finally enters, he is followed by Nick Fury. He pulls out a chair, leaning back in it and putting his hands behind his head. "Is this about the assassination of that Russian scientist?" he said, turning his body towards Fury.

 

A hologram is put up by Nick onto a board at the front of the room. A picture of a small girl appears. Her hair is wild, locks of dark mane spiralling out of control and past her chest. Cerulean eyes accompany lightly freckled cheeks, and her expression is almost emotionless.

 

Fury points at the hologram, "Lidiya Aliya Markova, born October '93, age 21. Born in Barnet, London, she moved to Rostov-On-Don in 1996, aged 2. She goes by the name of 'The Blood Assassin.' Not much is known about her past, but more evidence has been discovered since."

 

Fury pauses, looking around the group, before sighing. Tony raises an eyebrow, turning to Natasha, who is still scowling. He smirks slightly, "So she's young then?"

 

"Yes. What we do know about her, is she is a HYDRA assassin. Trained in hand to hand combat, she was taken in to the Siberia unit at only 17."

 

"I'm guessing she's pretty well trained then," Steve interjects, "She's been around for few years."

 

"She took out a whole team mission single handily, you aren't wrong there," Clint said, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting slightly.

 

"That still doesn't explain how she was so fast, she didn't tire once, and she survived a jump from the fifth floor of that wretched building," Natasha grunts, obviously very ticked off still by the failed mission.

 

Nick Fury pauses slightly, pulling up another hologram of a building, "We do know, however, that Agent Markova has enhanced characteristics." The rest of the group appear confused, not understanding what he means.

 

"The very little information we have from her files, shows that when she was 19, she was transferred to Sokovia. The HYDRA Research Base were holding experiments, led by Wolfgang von Strucker. We do know that she was one of the first to be exposed to the Sceptre. Many thought that she had died, but von Strucker kept her as his little secret. She survived, and now has Enhanced Speed, if this answers your question Romanoff."

 

"What does that mean though, she just runs fast?" Steve says, running a hand through his hair.

 

"Kind of, it doesn't just affect her running though. She has accelerated metabolism, thought process and perception. Enhanced agility, durability, endurance, reflexes, stamina. Agent Markova can also see in slow-motion, adapt to different G-forces and throw objects at incredible speeds. We don't know to what extent these are at though."

 

"From her records, we know she's very skilled. Many believed she didn't exist – she was a ghost tale as such," Natasha starts, coughing slightly. The fire in her eyes hadn't faded yet, and she leaned back in her chair. "She has one of the highest kill rates in HYDRA's recent years, and she's one of their youngest members."

 

"So she's a threat," Clint stated, leaning back on the edge of the table, "She's not only extremely talented at combat, but has superhuman enhancements. And she's part of HYDRA."

 

"What's her motive? I'm just saying isn't it just a bit weird that a 21 year old is our top HYDRA target," Bruce Banner finally speaks up, rubbing his face and looking lost in thought, " And why is she so hard to track and take down?"

 

"Because Bruce, she has no one monitoring her. We don't know her motives, or her involvement with HYDRA, but with the resources she has, and the abilities she beholds, she can assassinate, infiltrate and destabilise a city within a day, and no one would see her coming."

 

"Surely we must have an idea of her location for now, and if we do we must follow her immediately, right?" Steve said, frustration evident in his voice. A little snort came from Tony, before he stood up.

 

"We believe she is on her way to Romania, but we have no solid evidence for this." Tony says, gesturing towards the photo.

 

"Wherever she is, there is more to her story that first appears. We need to urgently find out her motives, her role within HYDRA, and who she really is. So, what are the Avengers prepared to do?"

 

Steve takes a step forward, looking around the group. Their eyes are reassuring, flickers of anger glazing over numerous pairs. He clears his throat, before saying, "Whatever it takes to bring her in."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter! I'm currently doing exams, so this I haven't checked it too much for mistakes, so sorry in advance. Also, because of exams, this probably isn't the best in the world! I hope you enjoy this, because i have wanted to write this for ages.
> 
>  
> 
> I don't know if this part has developed too quickly, if you think so, just let me know.
> 
>  
> 
> If you have any suggestions, or constructive criticism, just say because I'm always trying to improve my writing!
> 
>  
> 
> Anyways, enjoy this, and stay sweet! x


	3. Два

It’s dark by the time Lidiya reaches Bucharest. She’s been driving for the past 23 hours, not stopping once until she arrived in Romania. She slowed to a stop outside an old apartment block, parking her motorcycle and removing the number plate, replacing it with a local Romanian one. It blended in effortlessly, and she turned to walk to the entrance.

 

She knew that the Avengers would be after her, especially after that encounter with Romanoff. As she made it to the entrance, she leant her shoulder against the door, allowing it to open. Fishing out the key from her pocket, she jogged up the stairs to the apartment door.

 

After locking the door, she instantly made her way to the bed, collapsing onto the plain sheets.  The flat was completely empty, no personal belongings, or interesting information about her to be seen. A few posters of sports stars, or bands were taped to the walls. That was it; nothing else. Kicking off her shoes, she lay back on the bed, closing her eyes as her head hit the flat pillow. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed into the mattress beneath her, feeling her conscious slip away.

 

 

Suddenly, she awoke, the vibrations from her phone waking her from sleep. The room is bright, the day already in mid flow as she searches for her mobile in the bag beside her bed. The caller is a private number, and she pauses before picking it up.

 

“Agent Markova,” the voice says. Lidiya instantly recognises it as her boss.

 

“Yes?” she says, picking up her bag and rummaging through it to find the notebook, full of research and scientific information.

 

“Congratulations on completing your mission,” the voice is gruff and cold, and she rolls her eyes exasperatedly. “Did you find the book?”

 

“Yes, I did. There was nothing else of value on him,” she sighs, leaning her elbows onto her knees. Her head aches, the bright light seeping through the windows not doing much to help the pain.

 

“Bring it to me. You have 48 hours, Moscow, usual place. You understand?” they said, impatience clear in their voice. Squirming uncomfortably, she ran a hand through her tangled locks.

 

Standing up, she nodded before saying, “Yes. Moscow, 48 hours.”

 

There was a sound of acknowledgment, before the line went dead. She stopped the call, dropping the phone on the bed. It bounced slightly, the lit screen shutting off as she turned to take off her old clothes. They fell in a heap on the floor, and she rushed to the bathroom, starting up the shower. The cold water sent a buzz of adrenaline through her body, hands running through her wild mane of hair. As the temperature settled, she relaxed into the water, letting out a deep sigh she didn’t know she was holding. Missions were just a part of life now, to which she had grown accustomed to, no matter how gruelling or horrific they were.

 

But what she was doing was right; this was the good thing to do.

 

Shutting off the water, Lidiya stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her body. She dried quickly, turning towards bedroom again. Finding out some clothes, she dressed and brushed her hair, combing it back into a slick bun, whilst it was still manageable. She grabbed her phone, as well as the bag containing the book and her helmet; whatever protection she had could never do any harm.

 

47 hours and 39 minutes now. She mentally rolled her eyes at her own thoughts; as if she was this paranoid.

 

As Lidiya left the apartment, she grabbed her keys, locking the door behind her. Jogging down the stairs, she sees her neighbour entering the building, and almost runs into her in the process.

 

“Careful, watch where you’re going!” she said, accent strong. Lidiya understands Romanian though, and laughs in reply.

 

“Sorry, I was just in a rush,” she shouts back, before running out of the door and to her motorbike. She still has one last stop before Moscow.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

They spend just over a day searching the street cameras in Romania, as well as neighbouring countries. Nothing matches to her image though – that is until Natasha recognises a motorbike.  They look back a few hours to find a motorbike parked up outside of an apartment building, and the lady who owns it also has a wild mane of hair. Tony pauses the footage, just as she turns around. She’s a match. They’ve found her.

 

“We need to get over there immediately,” Steve said, but Tony stops him in his tracks. He fast forwards the tape a few hours.

 

“Looks like we’ve got her now,” he said, smirking and grabbing a handful of blueberries. He munched on them happily, and Clint rolls his eyes.

 

A lady carrying a helmet leaves the building, making her way towards the vehicle. Natasha stands up, arms crossed and expression furious.

 

“That’s her alright. We need to go and track her, who knows where she’s going now,” she said, voice assertive.

 

Steve nods. He turns towards the team, “We have found Agent Markova, so myself, Natasha and Clint will go over on the Quinjet. Tony and Bruce, you monitor the cameras and keep track of her. We can’t let her get away, so suit up.”

 

The team nod, no one arguing with Steve as he leaves the room – they all know he’s serious about this mission. Tony manages to get up the cameras in the Quinjet, and so they can now track her on the move. The three of them leave the compound, along with a pilot almost moments after Steve dismisses them. Time is precious, and they can’t let her get away this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again with chapter two! I know the last bit is a bit short, but I hope it's okay.
> 
> I am still at it with exams, but not long left now; thank goodness for that! I'm not an expert at geography, so I had to figure out time zones and all that - yeah, they took a long time to actually figure out and make them kind of fit. Hopefully it makes some sense.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this, and stay sweet! x


	4. Три

Lidiya pulls up outside of another apartment building, this time in the centre of the capital. She stops her bike and pulls off her helmet, putting it inside her backpack as she makes her way to the small corner shop next to the apartment. The array of food on display makes her mouth water, and she buys a selection of fruits and carbs. Plums are the last thing she picks up, and she pays for them quickly, knowing she only has 46 hours left.

Every month, she visited a friend of hers, who helped her whilst she was still new to HYDRA. She knew that he was finding it hard to cope at the moment, and her heart ached every time they met. He was special, and he had endured a lot, and still he lived in this never-ending nightmare – she was terrified to think she could end up the same.

She left the shop, groceries in hand, and made her way towards the building. Keeping her head down, she entered the block, running up the stairs swiftly. Reaching the twenty first floor, she knocked gently on the door and said, “It’s just me.”

There was a pause, before the door opened ajar, and a gloved hand reached out to grab hers. She was pulled inside, the door shutting immediately behind her.

The man’s eyes are red and puffy, and his hair is seemingly longer each time. He looks as if he hasn’t shaved in weeks.

“Buck,“ she said, biting her lip as he sighs gently. He gives a soft smile in return, running a hand through his hair.

“ _Ce mai faci, dragul meu?_ ” she said, putting the bag on a table nearby.

The other man shrugs, “ _Bine_ ,” and he folds his arms across his chest. Lidiya glances at him, before turning to the bag and emptying it on the table. She picks up various items, putting a few away into cupboards and draws. Bucky sits down on the sofa, giving a deep sigh, before he turns back to her.

“The assassination yesterday, it was you?” he said, eyes watering slightly.

Lidiya nods, “It was a mission, and you know I have to complete them,” she replies.

“I know your reasons, but stay safe. Natasha was after you,” he gives a small smile, to which she rolls her eyes. “If I didn’t have to do this, I wouldn’t. You know that right?” she sighs, picking up a peach and sitting next to him. Bucky simply nods, rubbing his eyes and reaching out for her peach. She tries to swat away his hand, but he takes it and bites into it.

“Bitch,” she scowls, nudging him in disgust. Shrugging, he passes it back, leaning back into the sofa.

“I had another memory last night,” he said, turning towards her. His eyes were painfully watery, and he looks hurt as he speaks.

“What was it?” she said, taking another bite out of the peach. It’s sweet and fleshy in her mouth, the tastes tingling on her tongue.

“Remember, that guy I was talking about, Steve?” he whispers. His face is full of fondness and he looks back over to Lidiya. She nods gently, her eyes focused on solely him. Bucky sighs again, “His mom’s name was Sarah. She- She died when he was 18.”

Lidiya’s mouth opens. She knew this was important to Bucky, and suddenly he was in her arms, crying into her neck.

“How could I nearly kill him? He was my friend!” he cries, and Lidiya rocks him back and forth, trying to comfort him in some kind of way. She spends 10 minutes comforting him, until he had stopped sniffing. Pulling away, she wiped his cheeks, and sat back, knowing she would have to leave soon.

“Bucky, I know this is difficult. But it wasn’t you, it was them trying to control you. Just like they control all of us, no matter what we try and do, it’s still all up there,” she taps her head, and pauses, taking another deep breath, “But at least you’re both fine, and they can’t get you now,” she said, smiling at him as he nodded. He looked broken, almost childlike in his expression. “And Buck, they’re after me still, and I can’t lead them to you,” she stood up, knowing deep down that they had tracked her.

It didn’t bother Lidiya that they had found her – it made this all the more fun. But right now, Bucky was her main priority and they couldn’t get to him.

“Can I leaving this here, I can’t fight with it on,” she said, leaving the helmet in the corner of the room on the floor.

Bucky nodded in return, standing up too and stretching his back. He had taken the glove off, and the metal of his left hand shone in the sunlight. She reached out and hugged him tight, “ _Ai grijă acum, prietene,_ I’ll be back soon.”

“ _Şi tu_ , I’ll see you soon,” he said, grinning at her. He chuckled slightly, before opening the door ajar, “Thanks for the shopping, and don’t let them kick your butt.”

“As if they even could! See you later,” she laughed, and with a wink, she disappeared out of the door.

~~~~~~~~

Lidiya had barely even left the building, when she saw the massive aircraft hovering over the capital. Jogging over to the motorbike, she jumped on it, starting it up, just as a voice spoke.

“Where do you think you’re going?” it asked, and she sighed, face palming herself. As if they were going to get her.

“I don’t know, I was thinking Austria might be nice, they have some good operas on there,” she said, turning to face the man behind her. It was the one and only Steve Rogers; Captain America.

“What are you doing here then?” he said, taking another step forwards. His hair was soft looking, blonde and gently falling to one side. His eyes were almost as blue as her own, but as they met, she rolled hers, trying her best to look bored.

“You know, seeing a friend, doing a bit of shopping. Generic stuff,” she said, British accent heavy. “I always thought our first encounter would be so much more, I don’t know the word – you could say pleasant, or on better terms? That works.”

“You talk a lot for someone who’s just assassinated somebody, Agent Markova.”

“Oh my, we have a stalker here! As if you know my name, wow,” she replied, laughing slightly, before she pulled out a gun from her back pocket. There was a sudden round of gasps from the local people, before the screaming started. “Well Steve, I don’t really want to use this, I know you have your little crew here too, but I’m a very busy lady. And guess what, I don’t have time for this!” she said, dodging an arrow which had just been shot.

Lidiya turned to where the arrow had come from, firing one shot in that direction. She turned, running at super speed to punch Steve in the face, and he staggered slightly in response. A woman’s voice was heard, and she recognised it instantly as Natasha.

Natasha ran at her, kicking her twice in the gut. Lidiya grabbed her foot on third attempt, clenching it in her hand and flipping her onto the ground with such force. Her hand clenched around her throat, and Lidiya smiled, “ _Privet snova_ Natasha. Sorry about this, but I really need to be leaving here,” she pinned her arms behind her head. Steve threw his shield at her, which she saw from the corner of her eye in slow motion. She caught it easily, letting go of Natasha who was left gasping on the floor.

She knew Bucky could see this, but right now, she had to get away. She would text him later, telling him what happened.

Launching the shield back at Steve, she started running again, this time towards Captain himself. Lidiya would be lying if she said she didn’t find him attractive, but right now, escaping was more important than trying not to hurt him. She landed a butterfly kick on him, before leaping onto his shoulders. He grabbed her foot, flipping her off him and kicking her torso. Shooting up, she punched him a few times, the enhancements working in her favour. She kicked him again in the gut, and he lost his footing. Picking up the gun, she aimed it at the jet, firing one shot at the engine. It worked a treat, as they suddenly had to pull away to avoid any more hits.

It was easy now, and she made her way to the motorbike, jumping on it and starting the engine. There was another arrow fired. She could see it flying in slow motion, and her hand reached out, swiftly catching it in her gloved hand. They were tan combat gloves, ones which she would never go on mission without. The arrow had an explosive unit attached to the end, and she launched it back towards Steve within milliseconds. It hit him and exploded, causing him to stagger backwards with the impact. Knocking the kickstand backwards, she started to drive, revving the engine in the process. She saw Natasha standing up, and Steve starting to run at her, but she smirked to herself. Lidiya sarcastically saluted, rolling her eyes as she turned and drove away as fast as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: 
> 
> Ce mai faci, dragul meu? - How you doing, my dear?
> 
> Bine - Good/Okay
> 
> Ai grijă acum, prietene - Take care now, friend (buddy) 
> 
> Şi tu - You too
> 
> Privet snova Natasha - Hello again, Natasha 
> 
> The first four are Romanian, and the last one is Russian - I don't speak either! So if I am wrong, please correct me, or let me know how you would say them.
> 
> Yes, I added Bucky in; oh snap! Well, she was in the Siberia unit for a few years so...
> 
> I feel as if my writing is becoming slack at the moment, like whatever I try and write doesn't sound great. But enjoy this anyway! I will probably go back over it at some point.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this, and stay sweet! x


End file.
